Help!

[Louulouu1]

Hello everyone 🙂

I don't really know where to go for advice but here seems an okay place? (Apologies if I'm in the wrong place) 🙂

My boyfriend has type 1 diabetes. I've been with him for about 6 months, and every few weeks he seems to have what I believe is called a Hypo?

It's very difficult to talk to him about it because I feel he is embarrassed about it, And seems to shrug it off pretty quick.
These hypo attacks are horrible. He sweats so much, he becomes very rude and acts very strange. It scares me so much because I know he's not right but I don't feel it's my place to force him to eat/drink and that's what I always end up doing. Seeing the way his eyes are, like there's no-one there is literally the worst thing.

Im just seeking advice on my part as to what's the correct thing to do in the situation where..
1. I straight away know something is wrong
2. What to do when he becomes a different person

He's seeking help on how to manage his insulin etc and has an appointment but I want some more information so I can help him incase this happens again.

Many thanks for anyone's time 🙂 it means a lot for any help, because I'm becoming more scared I'll loose him each time it happens

 

[Martin Canty]

Welcome to the group, sure this is a great place for advice, whether you are T1, T2, any other variant or caregiver.

As you have noticed a Hypo is a very serious medical condition & he needs treatment right away; many of our members carry jelly bears for such events, perhaps if you carry some & just offer one to him... The important thing is is he Hypo arare, i.e. does he recognize the symptoms & is able to correct by himself?
There will likely be some members who do suffer frequent bad Hypo's & be able to give advice based on their experience

 

[Louulouu1]

Welcome to the group, sure this is a great place for advice, whether you are T1, T2, any other variant or caregiver.

As you have noticed a Hypo is a very serious medical condition & he needs treatment right away; many of our members carry jelly bears for such events, perhaps if you carry some & just offer one to him... The important thing is is he Hypo arare, i.e. does he recognize the symptoms & is able to correct by himself?
There will likely be some members who do suffer frequent bad Hypo's & be able to give advice based on their experience

I tell him that he is starting to sweat because he doesn't seem to feel it himself and I ask him if he needs something to eat, always a no. He doesn't seem to be able to tell at all that he is not okay, he still talks etc but doesn't seem to be able to actually control himself ie move? If that makes any sense.
Just wondering if people have little things, food etc that seems to help 🙂
I usually give him a drink of Lucozade, but spend the time panicking if I'm doing the correct thing to help him

 

[Martin Canty]

I tell him that he is starting to sweat because he doesn't seem to feel it himself and I ask him if he needs something to eat, always a no. He doesn't seem to be able to tell at all that he is not okay, he still talks etc but doesn't seem to be able to actually control himself ie move? If that makes any sense.
Just wondering if people have little things, food etc that seems to help 🙂
I usually give him a drink of Lucozade, but spend the time panicking if I'm doing the correct thing to help him

Totally makes sense, the Lucozade (I hear) is a great go-to, but then I don't suffer Hypo's any more (came off then medication that was inducing Hypo's) so I can't really say what works best outside of fast acting carbs (hence the jelly bear or non-diet soda). A good start is something with 5g of carbs, wait 15 minutes then repeat if necessary.

 

[mikeyB]

Full fat Coke is better, they haven’t fiddled with the sugar content so it’s still nice and high. Tastes better than Lucozade anyway, which has had its sugar content reduced, which rather defeats the point of it.

 

[zx10pilot]

Glad to hear your other half is looking for some guidance with his insulin as something isn't quite right, are you going to go with him to his appointment?
I can appreciate his embarrassment (possibly due to the loss of control when he has a hypo) but this is likely going to be difficult to talk to him about.
Diabetes is a very personal illness where everyone is different and he might well feel that you won't (or can't) understand how it affects him.
It sounds as if he has has lost his "hypo awareness" and that is potentially serious - hopefully this will be discussed at his appointment.

A Hypo is caused by sugar levels that are low enough to start to affect the brain functions and yes, it can make people act very differently.
You are absolutely spot on though, it is important that he does get some simple sugar somehow (either a swig or two of good old full fat coke, a couple of jelly babies, anything that's really simple sugar) and as he is unaware that his levels have dropped too low then it's up to you - he won't know and won't be able to do anything about it.

Does he check his sugar levels in front of you or does he keep all diabetes related things hidden from you?

 

[Wirrallass]

Hello louulouu1 and a warm welcome to the forum. I understand fully how concerned you are and the anxiety your boyfriend's hypo's must be causing you.
Perhaps the links below will help you understand the Management of your boyfriend's diabetes:-

https://forum.diabetes.org.uk/boards/threads/useful-links-for-people-new-to-diabetes

https://www.diabetes.org.uk/guide-to-diabetes/managing-your-diabetes/testing

Should you need to know anything else then don't be afraid to ask and we'll do our best to help. Take care and do please stay in touch x
WL

 

[Grannylorraine]

Welcome to the forum, you obviously care very much about him to come asking for advice. Sorry men, but I think men often find it harder to talk about things like this, in case it is see as a sign of weakness, as you say he may be embarrassed when this is happening, which he has no reason to be.

You have had some good advice from the type 1 members. Just keep reassuring him that it is nothing to be embarrassed about.

 

[Davein]

Hi
My son has been type one for nearly thirty years and during that time I've been there with him during hypos. It can be very frightening initially. My son would start shaking uncontrollably and it would be difficult to administer a sweet drink, usually Lucozade and a lot of it ended up down his front. He also would become abusive for a short while but as soon as the Lucozade started to work its magic he would settle down. I would try and lead him to sit down on soft furnishings to save him injuring himself as the shaking would be quite violent. Once you are aware of what action to take and remain calm it becomes an automatic reaction to treat him. Keep him upright and get him to take small sips so there is no possibility of him choking and try not to overload him with too much sweet stuff. If you feel confident do a finger prick test to make sure his blood glucose levels are rising. If he fails to recover after being administered with glucose (Lucozade, Coke, etc) within a few minutes then contact the emergency services as soon as possible.

 

[Wirrallass]

Hi
My son has been type one for nearly thirty years and during that time I've been there with him during hypos. It can be very frightening initially. My son would start shaking uncontrollably and it would be difficult to administer a sweet drink, usually Lucozade and a lot of it ended up down his front. He also would become abusive for a short while but as soon as the Lucozade started to work its magic he would settle down. I would try and lead him to sit down on soft furnishings to save him injuring himself as the shaking would be quite violent. Once you are aware of what action to take and remain calm it becomes an automatic reaction to treat him. Keep him upright and get him to take small sips so there is no possibility of him choking and try not to overload him with too much sweet stuff. If you feel confident do a finger prick test to make sure his blood glucose levels are rising. If he fails to recover after being administered with glucose (Lucozade, Coke, etc) within a few minutes then contact the emergency services as soon as possible.

That's excellent advice Davein ~ I'm sorry to learn that your son is Type1 and he is very fortunate indeed to have you to help him when he suffers a hypo. It is obvious that you're very experienced in knowing how to treat him.
WL

 

[Louulouu1]

Thanks to everyone replying 🙂
He keeps everything hidden, I have no idea about how the insulin works, the time he needs it, the doses etc. I was hoping as the months went on he would feel more comfortable sitting me down and explaining but he hasn't. He doesn't seem to test his blood sugar levels either, but I don't feel its my place to 'have a go' at him about it as it's his body and at 30, should want to be in control more himself.

How much sugary drink or jelly babies are usually needed? And I know to wait 15 minutes now 🙂

I really appreciate all this Help! I didn't know who to go to about asking for advice and it's made me feel a bit more confident I'll be able to help him if it happens again 🙂

 

[Louulouu1]

Glad to hear your other half is looking for some guidance with his insulin as something isn't quite right, are you going to go with him to his appointment?
I can appreciate his embarrassment (possibly due to the loss of control when he has a hypo) but this is likely going to be difficult to talk to him about.
Diabetes is a very personal illness where everyone is different and he might well feel that you won't (or can't) understand how it affects him.
It sounds as if he has has lost his "hypo awareness" and that is potentially serious - hopefully this will be discussed at his appointment.

A Hypo is caused by sugar levels that are low enough to start to affect the brain functions and yes, it can make people act very differently.
You are absolutely spot on though, it is important that he does get some simple sugar somehow (either a swig or two of good old full fat coke, a couple of jelly babies, anything that's really simple sugar) and as he is unaware that his levels have dropped too low then it's up to you - he won't know and won't be able to do anything about it.

Does he check his sugar levels in front of you or does he keep all diabetes related things hidden from you?

Is it only a couple of swigs or a couple of jelly babies? My worry is I'm not giving him enough to get his sugar levels up
He keeps everything hidden from me

 

[Robin]

How much sugary drink or jelly babies are usually needed? And I know to wait 15 minutes now

I think the 'official' advice is 15g of fast acting carbs, ( check the carb count on the nutritional labels on things to work out how much of a product that means. I think there about 15g in the smallest can of Coke, and four fruit pastilles, my usual go-to is 10g). Many of us find 10g is enough, but if you spot hypos early on and treat them promptly, it takes less carb to raise your levels. It sounds as if he needs more, because his levels are extremely low by the time he treats them.
It also depends on when he last injected his short acting insulin, if he still has active insulin in board, he may start to drop again, hence the advice to wait 15 minutes and test again. ( it's very easy to overtreat a hypo and go sky high afterwards, which is why we don't just neck an entire bottle of Coke)

I'm glad he's seeking help, if he drives, and becomes incapable of recognising hypos and treating them himself, he will lose his licence.
The problem may be opening up about his diabetes, and this is difficult. I've been on a walk, and not wanted to hold everyone up, so chugged along at the back trying to chew jelly babies, I once bit the inside of my cheek really badly just because I didn't want to ask everyone to stop and wait!

 

[Louulouu1]

I think the 'official' advice is 15g of fast acting carbs, ( check the carb count on the nutritional labels on things to work out how much of a product that means. I think there about 15g in the smallest can of Coke, and four fruit pastilles, my usual go-to is 10g). Many of us find 10g is enough, but if you spot hypos early on and treat them promptly, it takes less carb to raise your levels. It sounds as if he needs more, because his levels are extremely low by the time he treats them.
It also depends on when he last injected his short acting insulin, if he still has active insulin in board, he may start to drop again, hence the advice to wait 15 minutes and test again. ( it's very easy to overtreat a hypo and go sky high afterwards, which is why we don't just neck an entire bottle of Coke)

I'm glad he's seeking help, if he drives, and becomes incapable of recognising hypos and treating them himself, he will lose his licence.
The problem may be opening up about his diabetes, and this is difficult. I've been on a walk, and not wanted to hold everyone up, so chugged along at the back trying to chew jelly babies, I once bit the inside of my cheek really badly just because I didn't want to ask everyone to stop and wait!

I'll have a look before work today and pick up some bags of jelly babies/pastilles and work out how many he would need 🙂

He doesn't drive, and hasn't had one whilst out with me or out in general that I know of. I think it's the getting home and having a sleep/getting straight on the Xbox instead of eating that does it. But again, I'm here to help not to tell him he needs to do certain things (as much as I want too!)

You're all very strong people dealing with all of this 🙂

 

[SB2015]

I have four or five mild hypos each week. They are not uncommon for people with T1, but it is a worry if you start to lose your awareness of them.

I know that the hypos are happening, so I can treat them myself with however many jelly babies I need. If I have gone very low I usually use fruit juice, and if I have gone below 3 and my OH is around I can simply tell him the number and he will spring into action. There are pots of JBs and cartons of juice all over the house so they are on hand. In my first week I had an extremely bad hypo and my behaviour changed with me swearing and becoming very aggressive, and that is not an uncommon response with low BG.

It does sound as if your boyfriend needs to learn how to make finer adjustments to his insulin, so it is good that he has an appointment coming up. He might also want to look at getting a Libre sensor.

 

[Davein]

I'll have a look before work today and pick up some bags of jelly babies/pastilles and work out how many he would need 🙂

He doesn't drive, and hasn't had one whilst out with me or out in general that I know of. I think it's the getting home and having a sleep/getting straight on the Xbox instead of eating that does it. But again, I'm here to help not to tell him he needs to do certain things (as much as I want too!)

You're all very strong people dealing with all of this 🙂

The general rule is 5 jelly babies. I would ask you to encourage him to have his meals at a regular time. It is far better to keep his blood glucose levels as normal as possible to avoid hypos. Do you know how many times he injects each day? Try to encourage him to talk about his diabetes to you and allow you to help him as soon as you spot the signs of an imminent hypo. It can have very serious implications if his diabetes is not kept under control so any encouragement from you will greatly help him. He is lucky to have a girlfriend who cares about him enough to want to help him with his condition.

 

[Louulouu1]

The general rule is 5 jelly babies. I would ask you to encourage him to have his meals at a regular time. It is far better to keep his blood glucose levels as normal as possible to avoid hypos. Do you know how many times he injects each day? Try to encourage him to talk about his diabetes to you and allow you to help him as soon as you spot the signs of an imminent hypo. It can have very serious implications if his diabetes is not kept under control so any encouragement from you will greatly help him. He is lucky to have a girlfriend who cares about him enough to want to help him with his condition.

I do try, I ask him if he needs food and text asking what he had for dinner as a general question to try show he's had dinner.
I can usually spot when a Hypo is starting, but before now I've never understood that when I say to him he needs some food and he ignores me it's because he can't get the energy to move rather than being ignorant and ignoring me. I use to get slightly angry because I couldn't understand how he didn't feel he was so sweaty or that he needed food but wouldn't get up to get some. But now I know I try to help him by getting a sugary drink and it has worked so far. I want to help him get this under control and I'm hoping his appointment will help him more 🙂

 

[Wirrallass]

I do try, I ask him if he needs food and text asking what he had for dinner as a general question to try show he's had dinner.
I can usually spot when a Hypo is starting, but before now I've never understood that when I say to him he needs some food and he ignores me it's because he can't get the energy to move rather than being ignorant and ignoring me. I use to get slightly angry because I couldn't understand how he didn't feel he was so sweaty or that he needed food but wouldn't get up to get some. But now I know I try to help him by getting a sugary drink and it has worked so far. I want to help him get this under control and I'm hoping his appointment will help him more 🙂

Hi again Louulouu I believe you're doing your level best to help your boyfriend and I praise you for this. As his hypo's are causing you concern ~ may I ask what is the date of his appointment and will you attend with him ~ will he allow you to? It would be to both your advantage if he agreed. Take care
WL

 

[Barbie1]

If you were to ask my husband, he would tell you that I always deny totally that I need anything to eat, even when it is quite obvious to anyone else. And in the end I only relent because he sits there looking totally hurt!!!
I also, even after 40 years of marriage (and 50 of D), am too embarrassed to admit going hypo when I notice, and try to slip myself jelly babies without him seeing. Lack of sugar does affect the brain very much and so behaviour can become unusual in all sorts of ways.
So I understand totally what your boyfriend may be feeling; not excusing, just understanding.

And 3 - 4 Jelly babies should restore him to relative sanity, but do check after 15 minutes as others have said, and if no meal is imminent, some longer acting carbs may be needed, such as a couple of biscuits or a sandwich (or in my case, an excuse for a cake!)

Good luck in getting him to open up about it all - I know it was many years before I felt confident enough to do so.

 

[Louulouu1]

If you were to ask my husband, he would tell you that I always deny totally that I need anything to eat, even when it is quite obvious to anyone else. And in the end I only relent because he sits there looking totally hurt!!!
I also, even after 40 years of marriage (and 50 of D), am too embarrassed to admit going hypo when I notice, and try to slip myself jelly babies without him seeing. Lack of sugar does affect the brain very much and so behaviour can become unusual in all sorts of ways.
So I understand totally what your boyfriend may be feeling; not excusing, just understanding.

And 3 - 4 Jelly babies should restore him to relative sanity, but do check after 15 minutes as others have said, and if no meal is imminent, some longer acting carbs may be needed, such as a couple of biscuits or a sandwich (or in my case, an excuse for a cake!)

Good luck in getting him to open up about it all - I know it was many years before I felt confident enough to do so.

At first I couldn't understand why he wouldn't eat and just (being that I didn't understand) got angry. I'd sit there. I didn't know what to do etc because I've never known anyone with diabetes. But now I'm starting to see the change and know I need to do something.

I just want to be there for him if he needs me 🙂